Have you ever heard a friend’s story so wild it sounds scripted? That’s army veteran Jeffrey Manchester’s life—the infamous Roofman who, in the 90s and early 00s, broke into McDonald’s across the USA through their roofs. In this film adaptation, Manchester is played by Channing Tatum, who brings this larger-than-life character to the big screen. The story becomes even more incredible after Manchester escapes prison and lives undetected for months in a Toys R Us, further adding to his legend. Director Derek Cianfrance ties it all together into a dark yet sweet adventure, led by a captivating main character.
Manchester was a military man, an army veteran who would seemingly stop at nothing to protect his country and provide for his family. While there is debate over whether holding people up for ransom is counterintuitive to his core belief, his courteous actions during the robberies make his plight almost sympathetic. He tells McDonald’s team members to grab their coats before locking them in the freezer, and even offers his own coat to one of them. He jumps up and down on a trampoline in a pink feather boa to hide from police. These moments paint a picture of who Manchester is as a person. The film walks a fine line between showcasing his personality and the impact his robberies have on the community.
All of this is anchored by a phenomenal performance from Tatum. He channels the goofball fun of his previous comedies like 21 Jump Street. He pours in some of the Magic Mike charisma to elevate his career to a new level. We got a glimpse of this in last year’s Blink Twice. Here we see a full leading man performance. He can toe the line between comedy and drama, mixing them effortlessly. His co-star, Kirsten Dunst, plays a newly divorced mum, Leigh, with warmth. The evolution of their relationship and Manchester’s attempt to get her teenage daughter on his side are all compelling pieces that help knit the human side of this story together so succinctly. The chemistry between Dunst and Tatum is electric. Every second they share on screen is pure joy, and I hope this film gives them more incentives to star together in future projects.
Outside of this, the thought of living in a Toys R Us store is every 80’s and 90’s kid’s dream. Manchester is the eternal kid who refuses to grow up. He uses the store’s goods to his advantage. There are some truly fantastic scenes here. He skates with Heelys (the shoes with built-in wheels; I use the word easily with restraint). He lives off baby food and M&M’s for sustenance. He spies on the staff with baby monitors. His observation of Mitch (Peter Dinklage), the epitome of every self-important, moronic baby boomer manager we have all been subject to, is done with absolute brilliance.
There is a deeper film lingering here, that could have lulled us into being conflicted about Manchester and his motivations. Cianfrance instead chooses to focus on the absurdity and hilarity of living in a Toys R Us store and watching Tatum and Dunst navigate their relationship and figure out how that will work. These two are the real stars of this story, delivering a career high for Tatum and another solid performance from Dunst, who is currently in a resurgence of high-calibre work. Roofman is an entertaining retelling of an extraordinarily conflicted existence that has enough nostalgia and heart to win you over.
